Requester specified transformations of encoded data in dispersed storage network memory

Abstract

A method includes receiving a data access request from a requesting device of a dispersed storage network (DSN) that includes an expected data type format and a requested return data format. The method continues by issuing data access requests to storage units of the DSN. When a decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been received, the method continues by decoding the encoded data slices to recover a data segment. The method continues by determining whether a data type of the data segment is consistent with the expected data type format. When consistent, the method continues by determining whether a conversion is necessary to produce the data segment in the requested return data format. When necessary, the method continues by formatting the recovered data segment to produce a formatted and recovered data segment and sending it to the requesting device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for execution by a computing device of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:
 receiving, from a requesting device of the DSN, a data access request regarding a set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of data is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices, wherein the data access request includes an expected data type format and a requested return data format, and wherein the computing device is capable of processing the data segment into the requested return data format;   issuing data access requests to storage units of the DSN, wherein a set of storage units stores the set of encoded data slices and the set of storage units includes the storage units,   when a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices have been received from the storage units, decoding the decode threshold number of encoded data slices to recover the data segment in a DSN format;   determining whether a data type of the data segment in the DSN format is consistent with the expected data type format; and   when the data type of the data segment is consistent with the expected data type format:
 determining whether a conversion is necessary to produce the data segment in the requested return data format; and 
 when the conversion is necessary:
 formatting the recovered data segment in accordance with the requested return data format to produce a formatted and recovered data segment; and 
 sending the formatted and recovered data segment to the requesting device of the DSN. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 when the data type of the data segment is inconsistent with the expected data type format, sending a format request error message to the requesting device. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the data type of the data segment is consistent with the expected data type format comprises one or more of:
 determining the data type to be text and verifying that the expected data type format is a text format;   determining the data type to be video and verifying that the expected data type format is a video format;   determining the data type to be audio and verifying that the expected data type format is an audio format; and   determining the data type to be an image and verifying that the expected data type format is an image format.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 when the conversion is unnecessary, sending the formatted and recovered data segment to a requesting device of the DSN. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the requested return data format comprises one or more of:
 a data format;   a video codec identifier;   a frame rate;   a fidelity level;   x-y dimensions;   compression level; and   version number.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the data format includes one or more of:
 a word processing document, Portable Document Format (PDF), and postscript when the recovered data segment is a portion of text file;   a Portable Network Graphics (PNG), bitmap (BMP), Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), and Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) when the recovered data segment is a portion of an image file;   a Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3 Audio (MP3), Waveform Audio File (WAVE), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), and Windows Media Audio (WMA) when the recovered data segment is a portion of an audio file; and   a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), Moving Picture Experts Group 4 Part 10 Advanced Video Coding (MPEG-4 AVC), and Windows Media Video (WMV) when the recovered data segment is a portion of a video file.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the determining whether the conversion is necessary comprises one or more of:
 determining the DSN format of the recovered data segment is a different data format than the requested return data format.   determining the frame rate of the recovered data segment is a different rate than the requested return data format;   determining the fidelity level of the recovered data segment is a different level than the requested return data format;   determining the x-y dimensions of the recovered data segment are different x-y dimensions than the requested return data format;   determining the compression level of the recovered data segment is a different compression level than the requested return data format; and   determining the version number of the recovered data segment is a different version number than the requested return data format.   
     
     
         8 . A computing device of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the computing device comprises:
 an interface;   memory; and   a processing module operably coupled to the memory and the interface, wherein the processing module is operable to:   receive, via the interface and from a requesting device of the DSN, a data access request regarding a set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of data is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices, wherein the data access request includes an expected data type format and a requested return data format, and wherein the computing device is capable of processing the data segment into the requested return data format;   issue data access requests to storage units of the DSN, wherein a set of storage units stores the set of encoded data slices and the set of storage units includes the storage units,   when a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices have been received from the storage units, decode the decode threshold number of encoded data slices to recover the data segment in a DSN format;   determine whether a data type of the data segment in the DSN format is consistent with the expected data type format; and   when the data type of the data segment is consistent with the expected data type format:
 determine whether a conversion is necessary to produce the data segment in the requested return data format; and 
 when the conversion is necessary:
 format the recovered data segment in accordance with the requested return data 
 format to produce a formatted and recovered data segment; and 
 send, via the interface, the formatted and recovered data segment to the requesting device of the DSN. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein when the data type of the data segment is inconsistent with the expected data type format, the processing module is operable to:
 send, via the interface, a format request error message to the requesting device.   
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the processing module is further operable to determine whether the data type of the data segment is consistent with the expected data type format by one or more of:
 determining the data type to be text and verifying that the expected data type format is a text format;   determining the data type to be video and verifying that the expected data type format is a video format;   determining the data type to be audio and verifying that the expected data type format is an audio format; and   determining the data type to be an image and verifying that the expected data type format is an image format.   
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:
 when the conversion is unnecessary, send, via the interface, the formatted and recovered data segment to a requesting device of the DSN.   
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the requested return data format comprises one or more of:
 a data format;   a video codec identifier;   a frame rate;   a fidelity level;   x-y dimensions;   compression level; and   version number.   
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 12 , wherein the data format includes one or more of:
 a word processing document, Portable Document Format (PDF), and postscript when the recovered data segment is a portion of text file;   a Portable Network Graphics (PNG), bitmap (BMP), Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), and Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) when the recovered data segment is a portion of an image file;   a Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3 Audio (MP3), Waveform Audio File (WAVE), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), and Windows Media Audio (WMA) when the recovered data segment is a portion of an audio file; and   a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), Moving Picture Experts Group 4 Part 10 Advanced Video Coding (MPEG-4 AVC), and Windows Media Video (WMV) when the recovered data segment is a portion of a video file.   
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 12 , wherein the processing module is operable to determine whether the conversion is necessary by one or more of:
 determining the DSN format of the recovered data segment is a different data format than the requested return data format;   determining the frame rate of the recovered data segment is a different rate than the requested return data format;   determining the fidelity level of the recovered data segment is a different level than the requested return data format;   determining the x-y dimensions of the recovered data segment are different x-y dimensions than the requested return data format;   determining the compression level of the recovered data segment is a different compression level than the requested return data format; and   determining the version number of the recovered data segment is a different version number than the requested return data format.